Belhavel House

THE LYONS-MONTGOMERYS WERE MAJOR LANDOWNERS IN COUNTY LEITRIM, WITH 10,179 ACRES

CAPTAIN JOHN LYONS, of Drogheda, County Louth, second son of John Lyons, of Ledestown, County Westmeath, by Elizabeth his wife, daughter of Henry Williams, Deputy-Governor of Antigua, married Dorothea, daughter of Hugh Montgomery, son of Sir Thomas Montgomery, Knight, and had issue,

John, killed in a duel, 1754;
HUGH, of whom presently;
Charles, Town Major of Halifax.

The second son,

HUGH LYONS (1750-92), assuming the name of MONTGOMERY, wedded, in 1773, Catherine, daughter of Richard, 4th Viscount Boyne, and had issue,

HUGH, his heir;
Charles (Rev), Rector of Innismagrath;
Georgina; Elizabeth; Catherine.

Mr Lyons-Montgomery was succeeded by his elder son,

HUGH LYONS-MONTGOMERY (1780-1826), of Belhavel, County Leitrim, who wedded, in 1812, Elizabeth, daughter of the VERY REV STEWART BLACKER, of Carrickblacker, County Armagh, Dean of Leighlin, and by her (who wedded secondly, Monsieur de Champrè) had issue,

HUGH, his heir;
Lambert Stewart, Lt-Col, Scots Fusiliers;
Charles, Captain, 65th Bengal Infantry;
Elizabeth; Caroline; Sophia; Louisa.

Mr Lyons-Montgomery was succeeded by his eldest son,

HUGH LYONS-MONTGOMERY JP DL (1816-82), High Sheriff of County Leitrim, 1840, MP for Leitrim, 1852-8, who espoused, in 1840, Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Smith, of Annesbrook, County Meath; and had issue,

Hugh, died in 1874;
HENRY WILLOUGHBY STEWART, his heir;
Lambert de Winton;
Alfred Otho;
Kynaston Walter Otho;
Elizabeth; Caroline Matilda; Ada Louisa Mary; Evelyn Clemina;Henrietta Emily Anna;
Florence Maud; Norma Wilhelmina; Ethel Constance; Beatrice Cecilia Blanche.

Mr Lyons-Montgomery was succeeded by his eldest surviving son,

HENRY WILLOUGHBY STEWART LYONS-MONTGOMERY (1850-), of Belhavel, Lieutenant, Leitrim Militia, who married, in 1876, Jane Singer, only child of Captain Travers Crofton, of Lakefield.

*****

BELHAVEL HOUSE, near Killargue, County Leitrim, was built during the Irish Famine.

The family took up residence there in 1850.

Owing to Mr Lyons-Montgomery's impecunious circumstances, his house and estate were declared bankrupt by a Dublin High Court in 1880.

As a consequence, he, his wife and some family members moved to France where he died a few years later.

By 1900 the big house was in ruins and was demolished by the land commission.

The stones were used to construct a new road.

The Irish tourist association survey in the 1940s recorded that "every stone was taken away to build houses throughout the district".

An earlier castle, also in Belhavel, is reputed to have been built by the first Montgomery to settle in the area in the 17th century. 

Unfortunately I have no images of Belhavel House.

First published in September, 2012.